Fractions Fun

To help us remember how to order benchmark fractions on a number line, we created our own fraction number lines with ribbon to hang around the classroom!

The correct order of these benchmark fractions is 0, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4, and 1. 

Here's a picture to help visualize the value of fractions (**Remember girls...If the numerator is 1, the GREATER the denominator, the SMALLER the value of the fraction!! Think..would you rather share a cookie with one friend and have 1/2 or share it with 11 friends and only have 1/12 ??)

Having trouble with fractions on a number line and need some extra practice?? Here's a link to some games to practice!

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/mathgames/fractions/AnimalRescueFractionsNumberLineGame.htm

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks2/maths/fractions/level4.htm

https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/fractions-match-frac-line.html

If you play one of the fractions games, post a comment below about what you learned to receive 5 points of extra credit on the next math test!!

Polar Pancake Breakfast

Week of December 8th

Check out what's going on this week in room 402!

Ride the Weekly Wave:

Math-We will continue our unit on fractions this week as we look at visual models, hands-on materials, and number lines to help us with ordering and comparing fractions and creating equivalent fractions! We will be testing on ordering fractions (*on a number line*), equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions this Friday.

Reading-We will continue reading articles about eco-friendly inventions to practice paraphrasing, summarizing, and presenting.  Also, we will be working on comprehension skills in non-fiction texts while researching oil spills to go along with our PBL. Check out our class blog to see pictures and videos of our very own Socratic Seminar in the Loggers v. Environmentalist logging debate using our research!

ELA/Writing-In Writer’s Workshop, we will finish writing a 5-paragraph essay to King George III about being a Patriot or a Loyalist. Later this week, we will begin writing about the PROBLEM in our Action Plan!! *See reminders note below*

Social Studies-We will be learning about the Declaration of Independence as we learn a new song and do other related activities!  

Science-We will finish our unit on light through inquiry by going on a light scavenger hunt to find transparent, translucent, and opaque objects and making our own kaleidoscopes to explore how light reflects! We will test on the light unit this Friday.

 Set Sail for…Upcoming Tests/Projects:

·       Wednesday-Socrates Vocabulary Test

·       Friday-Math Test on Fractions

·       Friday-LIGHT Unit Test (*Study Light Study guide and other light notes in Wonder Journal)

Homework for the Week:

(please refer to your child's agenda daily for more details-this is only an OUTLINE of what to expect):

·       Read 2 steps (30 minutes) for 100 BC and sign Reading Log *every* night

·       Return Signed Papers by Tuesday *sent home Monday*

·       Fractions Practice Sheets

·       LIGHT crossword puzzle

 Super Surfer of the Week

Jadyn Sharick is our star student this week for showing CURIOUSITY and the character traits of RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT, and CREATIVITY in the classroom!!

 100 Book Challenge Goals

Good: 176 step

Better: 320 steps

**BONUS CHALLENGE-Post a comment on this blog post or write in your agenda answering the "Wonder of the Week" question to receive a lunch buddy pass!

What is your favorite holiday cookie???

Mighty Girls are Engineers!!

What is S.T.E.M., and why is it important-especially for girls??

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and we have been practicing some STEM activities in room 402! 

STEM activities promote collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving skills, and communication. Girls tend to want to get something right the very first time, but  STEM shows that mistakes are not failures but opportunities to grow, redesign, and get better!! 

The STEM process is...
1. Ask-How can I solve this problem using a limited amount of resources?
2. Imagine-Brainstorm with a small group the best solution to the problem. 
3. Plan-Sketch out the solution!
4. Create-Build it, make it, test out your planned design.
5. Improve-Redesign, rebuild, and make it stronger and better! *This step really promotes the growth mindset for girls-that you are not supposed to be perfect the first time*

Here are the STEM activities that happened in room 402 :)

STEM CHALLENGE #1-Thanksgiving Table Challenge

Problem: You have you too many people invited over for a Thanksgiving dinner, and the table is too small!

Challenge Question: Can you build your family a Thanksgiving table that will hold the most weight??

Goal: To build a Thanksgiving table using limited materials (3 pieces of brown construction paper and 12 inches of masking tape)  to hold the most "food" (candy corn). The winning team will build a table to hold the most pieces of candy corn before the table breaks!!

The class record was 211 pieces of candy corn!! Way to go girls!!

After the activity, we reflected about the STEM learning process and what we learned about being problem solvers and risk takers!! (This is something that we say every morning in our "Classroom Pledge.)

STEM CHALLENGE #2-BOSTON TEA PARTY CHALLENGE

Materials: Popsicle Sticks, wax paper, masking tape, yarn, scissors, glue, and the tea bag

After the designs were planned and the crates were built, we timed how long the crate would stay in the cold water without the tea bag leaking and making the water darker!

Every group made the tea bag last at least 1 minute in the water!!

When this group couldn't make their crate stay together with glue, they used tape instead and broke the popsicle sticks in half. They quoted-"what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.." when talking about their crate! Way to be problem solvers, ladies! :)

Reflection Activity Sheet-What was challenging? What worked? What was successful? Why??

Yes, we are girls-we love wearing bows and chevron, but we are also MIGHTY engineers, PROBLEM-SOLVERS, and RISK-TAKERS!!

For more information about STEM and girls, check out the parent resource "Sci-Girls" http://www.pbs.org/parents/scigirls/stemsantional-resources/